


Some Things Are Not Meant To Be

by fizzyblogic (phizzle)



Series: Merlin daemons AU [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemon, Daemons, Multi, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-17
Updated: 2011-11-17
Packaged: 2017-10-26 04:43:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/278817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phizzle/pseuds/fizzyblogic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lancelot pines for Arthur and Gwen. Turns out they're rather pining for him, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Some Things Are Not Meant To Be

**Author's Note:**

> For Scribe <3

Lancelot flattens himself to the ground, his [deerhound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Deerhound) daemon Hertha hunkering down next to him. Arthur draws his crossbow. The deer in the clearing goes still, listening. None of the hunting party move a muscle, and after a few moments, the deer lowers her head to the ground again. Arthur aims, Lancelot barely breathes, and the deer falls.

"Good shot, sire," Merlin says. Arthur shoves him so he'll stand up.

"Go and get it then," is his reply. Merlin rolls his eyes, [Angharad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_fox) following as he makes his way into the clearing and hefts the deer over his shoulder.

"It's heavy," Merlin complains. Leon is standing, and takes it from him. "Thanks."

"I'll put this on your horse, shall I?" Leon grins, his [lion hound](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodesian_Ridgeback) daemon Cassiopeia wearing an identical grin. Merlin groans, and picks up the bags from the spot he'd been lying in.

"How much longer are we going to hunt?" He's whining, but Lancelot finds his whining sort of endearing. He claps him on the shoulder.

"Oh, another few hours yet," he says, and Arthur laughs at the look on Merlin's face.

"Come on," Gwaine says, pulling Merlin towards him with one arm. "Leave him alone, it won't be that long."

"Ooooh," Elyan teases, poking Gwaine in the side. "Look who's coming to his rescue."

"You're his knight in shining armour," Leon laughs. Gwaine punches him on the arm.

"Shut up."

Lancelot loads his horse up with the birds he killed, Hertha sitting patiently by his side until Arthur passes. Virtia, Arthur's [wolf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf) daemon, smiles at Hertha, who gets up to follow her.

 _Hertha_ , Lancelot warns. Hertha turns back and sits at his heels again. _Sorry, but you know it is impossible._

 _I know_ , she thinks at him. She sinks down onto her front legs and buries her head in them.

She trots beside his horse on the way back to the castle, Virtia trotting beside Arthur's horse. They keep drifting closer to each other, until Lancelot sends a thought to Hertha and she retreats. The ride isn't a long one, and when they get back to Camelot Gwen is there, [Damocles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Spotted_Woodpecker) on her shoulder. He flies down to Virtia and nuzzles her as Arthur kisses Gwen, and it is all Lancelot can do not to let Hertha bound over to them. He can't do that. He just can't.

"You all right?" Percival asks under his breath. Drusilla, his [spaniel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Springer_Spaniel) daemon, touches her nose to Hertha's.

"Yes." Lancelot tears himself away from watching Arthur and Gwen together. Percival pats him on the shoulder and helps him unpack his saddle bags.

Arthur's closest circle of knights have dined with him since his father's illness began, and that evening Lancelot sits next to Elyan and Gwaine and laughs with them. Elyan's [kestrel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Kestrel) daemon, Amalthea, play fights with Gwaine's [falcon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughing_Falcon) daemon, Ricarda, while Gwaine and Elyan and Lancelot pretend to argue over who's the better huntsman. Hertha lies under the table, at Lancelot's feet, despondently watching Virtia and Damocles talking animatedly behind Arthur's chair.

"Are you all right?" Merlin asks him, a few days later when they're alone. The knights are at training, and Lancelot and Merlin are watching Percival and Arthur fight. Virtia and Drusilla circle each other, growling.

"I'm fine," Lancelot answers. Merlin looks at him, looks at where Hertha is stretched out on the ground lethargically, and looks back at Lancelot.

"You look fine," he remarks, turning back to the fight. Lancelot sighs.

"It is nothing. Something that cannot be."

"You've said that before," Merlin says, not looking at him, "and I still think you're wrong." Angharad nudges Hertha, making sympathetic noises. "I don't see why you shouldn't be happy too."

"You don't understand," Lancelot says. Hertha doesn't move, just watches Virtia. "They have each other. They are happy. There is nothing more to say."

"You're such an idiot sometimes," Merlin shakes his head.

"Perhaps Merlin is right," Hertha says, later that night when the candles are out. She cuddles close to him, and Lancelot wraps his arms around her.

"How can he be? I am content with —"

"You're not content," Hertha snaps. "Neither am I."

"There is nothing we can do," Lancelot says. "There is nothing more to say."

"There's something we haven't thought of before," Hertha says. "We could try asking them."

"Asking them what? What exactly would we say?" He shakes his head. "No, there is nothing to be done. Go to sleep."

She huffs. "It is worth trying. Think about it, Lancelot."

He does think about it. He thinks about Arthur banishing him, he thinks about Uther finding out and having him executed. He thinks about the look on Gwen's face when she chooses Arthur over him again, the good choice, the _right_ choice.

Hertha thinks about it too, though. She thinks about Arthur kissing him and Virtia nuzzling her, she thinks about Uther having other things to worry about, she thinks about Gwen kissing Lancelot and how soft Damocles' feathers could be against her nose. Lancelot has to tell her to stop after a while, and she presses close to his heart and thinks instead about waterfalls and the day they met Percival and Drusilla, pitted against each other but banding together to defeat their captors. Lancelot holds her close, three tears dropping onto her fur before he pulls himself together.

About a month later, in one of Arthur's increasingly frequent meetings he invites only Merlin, Gwen and Lancelot to, Arthur picks up the pile of papers on his desk and says, voice cracking slightly with despair, "There's too much. Father can't help me, and all these demands for things — pardons, food, weapons to defend villages — I can't do this all alone." He takes a deep breath. "I'm going to send for my uncle."

"Oh," Merlin says. "I didn't know you had an uncle."

"He was my mother's brother. I've never met him, he left after she died, but he is the only family I have left, apart from Father. I need some guidance."

Lancelot, knowing how much it pained him to admit that, steps forward and grips Arthur's arm before he can stop himself. "It is a wise decision, sire," he says. Hertha slips past his legs and approaches Virtia, who immediately leans against her. A shock of pleasure goes through Lancelot as Hertha, overtaken by the touch, nuzzles against Virtia's side.

"It is," Gwen agrees, stepping forward too. Damocles flies to Virtia and brushes his wing against her ear reassuringly.

"Yes," Merlin adds awkwardly. "I'll, er, shall I draft a letter to him?"

"It's already done." Arthur is looking at Lancelot's hand on his arm, but instead of taking it away, Lancelot leaves it there. There's something in Arthur's face that somehow gives him a nugget of hope.

"Perhaps I could deliver it," Merlin suggests. "Or, er, take it to the nearest village to be sent on."

"Yes, Merlin," Arthur looks up. "That's an excellent idea. It's in the envelope there, off you go." He inclines his head at the desk, which is half covered in papers, but one envelope sits on top of a book. Merlin grabs it. Angharad beams at Hertha and leads Merlin out of the room.

"That was nice of him," Lancelot says into the silence. He's still gripping Arthur's arm.

"He's not normally so forthcoming," Arthur nods. Virtia is still leaning on Hertha.

Gwen clears her throat. "I, um," she says. "I should — I should probably —"

"Don't go," Arthur says, quickly. "I mean. Please stay, I'd like you both to stay."

That unfreezes Lancelot. He lets go of Arthur's arm and says, "I should leave you two alone —"

"No," Hertha wails involuntarily. Lancelot stops.

Arthur rushes towards him, grabbing Lancelot's face in both hands, and before he knows what's happening, Lancelot is being kissed. By Arthur. He can hear Gwen's breathing quickening, he can feel Virtia touching her nose to Hertha's and then snuggling their sides together, and after a few moments the shock wears off and Lancelot responds. He spreads his hands over Arthur's back and kisses him deeply, Hertha nuzzling hers and Virtia's faces together. Damocles flits by them, brushing his wings over them both, laughing delightedly.

When the kiss breaks, Gwen pulls Lancelot towards her and kisses him as though her life depends on it. His arms are still half around Arthur, and the three of them make a circle, their daemons standing next to them. Damocles lands on Virtia's back and snuggles down between them, sighing contentedly, as Gwen kisses Arthur and Lancelot trails his lips down her neck and his.

"I think we should," Arthur pants when they come up for air, "probably talk about this."

"Yes," Gwen whispers, pulling Lancelot closer. Against his mouth, she breathes, "In the morning."

Arthur groans and nuzzles his nose into Lancelot's neck. Virtia licks Hertha's nose. "Yes," Arthur says, "in the morning."


End file.
